Journal-box lid.



PATBNTED JULY 11, 1905.

J. S. PATTEN.

JOURNAL BOX LID.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 1904.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 1,

wwmeooao No. 794,542. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

' J. S. PATTEN.

JOURNAL BOX LID.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

X7 if A? Q" My 110. 794.542. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905. J. s. PATTEN.

JOURNAL BOX LID.

ATPPLIGATION FILED JAN. 4, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

NTTED STATES JAMES S. PATTEN,

AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

Patented July 11, 1905. I

PATENT FFICE.

OF BALTIMORE CITY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

JOURNAL-BOX LID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,542, dated July 11, 1905. Application filed January 4, 1904. Serial No. 187,660.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES S. ,PATTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in J ournal-Box Lids; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to journal-boxes for car-axles, and more particularly to the lids thereof, the object of the invention being to provide alid which will be held in close contact with the end of the box throughout the edge of the latter and in which this result may be obtained without requiring the extreme care ordinarily demanded in the fitting of the lid, and as a result the lids of various boxes may be interchanged or replaced with the assurance of a snug fit and a consequent exclusion of foreign matter.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for locking the lid in its closed position and also to provide a construction which may be applied to the journal-boxes now in common use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a journal-box having a lid embodying the present invention, one loop or hinge member at one side of the main portion of the lid being in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the lid and the front portion of the box in the plane of the spring and with the lid in closed position. Fig. 3 is a section taken vertically through the upper portion of the lid and clamping-arm and including the locking-lug and the recessed end portion of the adjacent loop of theclamping-arm. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a portion of the box with its hinge-leaf and the clamping-arm with its loops held above the leaf of the box.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View showing the end of the box with the lid in raised position.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a journal-box 5, which may be of any general construction and having at its forward end the usual opening 10, through which the waste and lubricant are supplied to the box, this outer end of the box being slanted. Upon the box, directly adjacent to the front face thereof, is formed a hinge-leaf 12, the front flat face 13 of which overhangs the slanting front of the box; while the upper and rear faces are curved. Through the leaf 12, and transversely of the box, is formed a passage 14, which is designed to receive a pintle 15, by means of which the lid 16 of the box is connected to the leaf 12. At the ends of theleaf 12 and at the front portions of said end are formed lugs 16, which extend from the upper face of the leaf 12 downwardly throughout the height of the front face 13, the rear faces of these lugs being ooncaved at their inner portions and concentric with the passage 14, the lower ends of these lugs extending under the passage 14: substantially halfway. These lugs form stops for a purpose to be presently explained.

The lid 16 is designed to fit flat against the slanting end of the box, and to hold it securely. in this position a flange 17 is formed upon the inner face of the lower end portion thereof and extends downwardly at an acute angle thereto to fit against the inner face of the box directly adjacent to thelower edge of the opening 10. This flange serves to prevent the lid from being swung outwardly from the box without first raising it until the flange has left the face of the box. Upon the inner faces of the sides of the box directly adjacent to the opening 10 are formed lugs 19, and upon the innerface of the lid are formed fingers 18, which when the lid is in closed position project inwardly and downwardly of the box, so as to engage behind the lugs 19, the engagement of the fingers with the lugs serving to further hold the lid against downward movement before it is raised.

The lid 16 is provided with loops'2O at its upper corners through which is engaged the pintle 15, these loops being elliptical in form, so that while they serve in conjunction with the pintle to pivotally connect the lid with the leaf 12 they permit of vertical movement of the lid sufficient to disengage the flange and fingers above described from the cooperating holding parts.

To press and hold the lid yieldably in its closed position, a clamping-arm 21 is provided, which is pivotally mounted between the ears 22, formed upon the outer face of the lid 16 at substantially the center thereof, so that when the arm presses the lid against the end of the box the lid may have such pivotal movement as to cause it to adjust itself to conditions and lie close against the end of the box. The arm 21 is provided with elliptical loops 27, that lie between the loops 20 and the leaf 12 and through which the pintle 15 passes. A leaf-spring 30 is connected to the inner face of the arm 21 at a point between the cars 22 and extends upwardly and rearwardly from the arm, the upper end of this spring being reversely curved and disposed against the face 13 of the leaf 12, which latter overhangs the slanting front face of the box, as above mentioned. As the spring presses against this face 13 it serves to force the lid both downwardly and toward the end of the box. When the lid is raised and then swung outwardly from the box, the upper end of the spring passes upwardly along the face 13 and then onto the upper face of the leaf 12 and serves to hold the lid in raised position. To further hold the lid from uncovering the opening 10 before it is raised, the lugs 16 are formed. The loops 27 are cut away at the lower portions of their fronts and the front portions of their bottoms at their inner ends, the cut-away portions being illustrated at 28 in Fig. 4:, so that shoulders 29 and 30 are formed at the inner end of each of these loops. When the lid is in closed position, the shoulders 30 lie against the faces 31 of the lower ends of the lugs 16 and prevent turning of the loops 27 on the pintle 15. When, however, the lid is raised, the clamping-arm'moves upwardly with it until the shoulders 30 are raised above the face 31, and then the lid may be swung outwardly with the clamping-arm, the projecting portions 32 of the inner ends of the loops 21 then passing between the pintle and the concaved faces of the lugs 16". To close and lock the lid, it is first swung downwardly until the locking-flange and fingers thereon are within the box and the lid is against the slanting face of the box, at which time the shoulders 30 are in the rear of the faces 31. The lid, with its clamping-arm, is then moved downwardly to engage the locking-flange and finger.

In the journal-box usually employed there is a hinged leaf similar to the leaf 12, with the exception that it does not have the lugs 16'. This absence of lugs does not interfere with the use of the present lid, but merely fails to present cooperating elements for the shoul-.

ders 30 to hold the lid in place.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a journal-box of a lid hinged thereto, a clamping-arm hinged to the box and connected to the lid and adapted to hold the latter in closed position, and means disposed for cooperation with the arm when the lid is in closed position to hold the lid closed, said arm being movable out of engagement with said cooperating means prior to movement of the lid from the face of the box.

2. The combination with a journal-box of a lid therefor, a clamping-arm hinged to the box and to the lid, means cooperating with the arm at times to hold the latter with the lid in closed position, said arm being movable out of engagement with said cooperating means prior to movement of the. lid from its closed position, and means for holding the arm yieldably with the lid in closed position when the arm is out of engagement with said cooperating means.

3. The combination with a journal-box, of a lid connected thereto for pivotal and sliding movement, a clamping-arm connected with the lid and hinged to the box cooperating looking devices carried respectively by the lid and box for holding the lid against pivotal movement from its final closed position, and locking devices carried respectively by the arm and box and disposed for mutual engagement when the lid is in final closed position, said lid and arm being movable to disengage the locking devices prior to movement of the lid from the face of the box.

4:. The combination with a journal-box, of a lid connected thereto for pivotal and sliding movement, a clamping-arm connected with the lid and hinged to the box, said arm being arranged for sliding movement with the lid, said arm having shoulders lying normally in engagement with lugs carried by the box to hold the lid in its final closed position, said arm and lid beingmovable to disengage the shoulders from the lugs, and means for holding the arm yieldably with the lid in closed position when the shoulders are out of engagement with the lugs.

5. The combination with a journal-box having a hinged leaf and lugs at the ends of the leaf, of a pintle engaged with the leaf and projecting beyond the ends thereof, a lid conlid in closed position after the shoulders have been disengaged from the lugs.

6. The combination with a journal-box having a hinged leaf thereon and having lugs projecting from the end of the leafat the forward portion thereof, said leaf having a pintle engaged therewith and projecting beyond the ends thereof, of a lid having elongated loops engaged with the pintle at opposite sides of the leaf for pivotal and sliding movement, a clamping-arm hinged to the lid and having elongated loops engaged with the pintle between the loops of the lid and the leaf, the loops of the arm being cutaway at the forward and lower portions of their inner edges to form shoulders, said shoulders lying in engagement with the lugs when the lid is in closed position to hold the lid and arm against pivotal movement, said lid and arm being slidable upon the pintle to move the shoulders out of engagement with the lugs to permit of pivotal movement of the lid and arm. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES S. PATTEN. Witnesses:

WARREN W. BROWN, OURBY S. HURLEY. 

